The Diary of Aqua Breeze
by saltysea
Summary: Aqua Breeze lives a pretty quiet life. She's never been to the sea, yet craves that experience. No one seems to understand her. But maybe, just maybe, she'll finally find out what the sea is like. And, learn a few things along the way. (Short chapters) (First written fanfic)
1. Prologue

Ever wonder why this world seems so weird? I mean, seriously. Why are there such weird names for everything? Why aren't there better names for some things? Why do the majority of people not like rain or snow?

Prepare yourselves for a spy hunt into the unknown. Things are gonna get weird.

* * *

Hi, I'm Aqua Breeze. I love rain and snow and all things that have to do with water. It's so much fun dancing in the rain, playing with snow, and just being near water. Yet none of my family or friends share my enthusiasm. It's so lonely. But, oh well. I've got to go, there's a rain storm to enjoy.


	2. Chapter 1

It was an ordinary day in Cloudsdale. My parents were at work in their cloud factory, and my two siblings, my sister Paint Breeze and my brother Silver Breeze, were busy with their own hobbies. Meanwhile, I was reading about all the different types of precipitation. And even though my family and I are all pegasi, I'm the one who loves weather the most. Especially if it's wet weather. My siblings prefer the indoors, and even my parents avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary. Ridiculous, right? Well, for some reason, nopony else questions it. What's up with that? _Knock! Knock!_ Oh, that must be the mailpony.

"Special delivery."

"Oh, really?" Of course, being the teenager I am, I don't give him a chance to answer, and instead, thank him and shut the door. I quickly tore open the envelope and read the contents of the letter.

**Mr. and Mrs. Breeze,**

**you and your children are invited to the Summer Beach Party at the East Beach Reserve at 2pm on June 9. Please R.S.V.P. if you wish to attend. **

**Sincerely, Evangeline Lavender**

"Oh, wow!" I am so amazed. Evangeline Lavender is one of the richest ponies in all of Equestria! My mom told me about her. She lives in Canterlot during the cold months, but during the warm months, she lives in a summer house on the cliff overlooking the East Beach Reserve. And she's never invited us before! She's only ever invited the richest and most popular. Come to think of it, I wonder how mom seems to know so much about her. I mean, her name's all over the news and everything, but mom's mentioned a lot of personal things about her that I've never seen in any newspaper. Like her favorite food and activities. But if mom knows her, how come she never said so? And how come we're only being invited to a party now? I glanced at the clock. 1pm. And mom and dad wouldn't be home until 5. Oh, well. Looks like I've gotta wait four hours. Might as well finish my book.


	3. Chapter 2

Four hours. FOUR HOURS! That's how long I've been waiting. I finished my book three hours ago. Then, in an effort to pass the time, I researched all of Dad's newspapers, and found out that Evangeline Lavender is a unicorn and loves the sea. More irony! Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say she's just like me! Minus her being a unicorn and filthy rich, of course. Which brought me back to the main question. How in Equestria could my mom possibly know her? But, more waiting was ahead. And here I am, STILL waiting. Can't that clock go any faster? I've tried to entertain myself, I really have. It just didn't work for very long. I rested my head against the windowsill. It feels like it's been forever since I read that invitation. Finally, I heard the door open.

"Kids, we're home!" Mom called out.

YAY!

"Mom! I have so many questions for you!"

"Woah, slow down! I have to start dinner."

"But, Mom. This is _really_ important."

"Whatever it is, it can wait until _after _dinner's ready."

"Okay." Well, I waited this long. I can wait a little longer.


	4. Chapter 3

While waiting for Mom to finish dinner, I quickly double-checked to make sure that I had put away ALL of Dad's newspapers. Thankfully, I did. I didn't want to get in trouble for leaving a mess; though, that's usually what either one or both of my siblings does. Then I decided to just sit and watch my sister paint. I know, how funny is it? Her name is Paint, and she likes to paint. Although, my name is Aqua, which is the Latin word for water, so actually not that weird. That's another thing I've noticed. Why is it that everypony's names seem to reflect their interests and cutie marks? Must be that whole thing about "destiny".

Which I'm not completely sure I believe in, because, come on. While I do love water, I have NEVER been to the sea. The biggest body of water I've ever been to was a small lake. And given that my cutie mark is a picture of a vast sea with a narrow coast, I don't think that "destiny" quite got it right with me. Guess that means I'm just an oddball. After all, everypony else's cutie marks are right. Or mine is just a symbol, and doesn't actually mean I'll ever visit the sea. Although, if Mom and Dad actually do end up accepting the invite, I just finally might. I really hope so.

"Alright, everypony. Dinner's ready."

Yes!

I can't wait to finally find out the truth!

This mare's on a mission!


	5. Chapter 4

As we all sit at the table, and begin to eat, I can barely focus on my food. I'm itching with curiosity. It's taking all my self-control just to not blurt out all my questions, let alone sit still.

"So honey, what was it that you're so impatient to ask me?" Mom says to me.

"Well..." I pause.

I didn't really think this far. What should I say first? Do I ask her my questions first, or tell her about the invitation first? 'Cause even though I'm practically dying to find out, she should know about the invitation, and why I'm asking these particular questions.

"Yes?" Mom asks.

Everypony's paused to stare at me now.

What do I say?

Ask questions or give info?


	6. Chapter 5

Everypony is still staring at me.

Unable to ignore my curiosity, I just suddenly blurt out,

"How do you know Evangeline Lavender?"

My mom looked at me with a stunned look of surprise.

"Aqua, how do you know about that?"

I gulp. I hope I'm not in trouble.

"Well, there was this invitation that came in the mail today, and you weren't home, so I just decided to read it myself."

Mom sighed. "You do know it's impolite to read other ponies' mail, right?"

I nod.

She sighed again. "Well, I suppose I should have expected this to happen. And now that the truth is out, you all might as well know. The truth is, I used to live in Canterlot, and we met and became close friends. Evangeline and I went to high school together. The following year, we also attended college together, although it was for drastically different reasons. She wanted to become a socialite like all of her other friends, and I had always dreamed of being a factory manager."

I scrunched my eyebrows at her. "So, if you two knew each other so well, how come you never told us you were friends with her?"

By now, everypony had stopped eating. "I've already said that we had dreams. So, naturally, once we finished college, she stayed in Canterlot, and I moved here. Which is a good thing, because if I had accepted her offer to stay, I would've never met your father again." She and Dad smiled at each other.

"That still doesn't answer my question."

She chuckled. "I'm getting to that, dear." She sighed yet again. "Even though we promised to write each other, as the years passed, we just got too busy. However, while I was shopping last week at the mall, I actually met her again."

"Really?!" My sister and I chorused.

Mom smiled. "Yes, indeed. She was in disguise, no doubt to avoid her fans, and said that she was exploring the area. She knew I had moved here, and she was wondering if she'd ever get the chance to see me again. And she was curious about my life. So we spent some time together at the coffee shop there, and brought each other up to date on our lives. And when I told her about all of you, she said that she wanted to be able to meet you all, and that she would invite us all to her next party."

Paint and I gasped in delight.

"However, your father and I still haven't made up our minds about whether or not we want to go."

I stared at her in disbelief. "How _haven't_ you made up your minds yet? This is the _biggest _thing that has _ever_ happened to us. We _have _to go."

Then Paint finally piped in. "Yeah, this is the best thing ever. She knows all about the latest in art. And we've never been to a party before."

I stared at her in confusion. "Uh...Paint, yes we have."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I meant, we've never been to one thrown by anypony important, silly." She said in that annoyingly condescending voice. You know, I sometimes think she'd make a great socialite. She's definitely got the attitude for it. Then again, her manners would probably scare everypony off... And probably mine as well.

Dad spoke up then. "We'll think about it. Until then, let's not let all of your mother's hard work go to waste."

We all agreed and resumed eating.


	7. Chapter 6

It is now May 29th. It has been three days since we got the invitation. If Mom and Dad don't respond to the invitation soon, it'll be too late! I don't understand why it's taking so long for them to decide! It should be simple! At least, to me. After all, why _wouldn't _Mom want to see her old friend again? It just doesn't make any sense!

At that moment, Mom and Dad walk into the room. Dad clears his throat to grab our attention.

"Children, your mother and I have decided to go to Miss Lavender's party."

Paint and I cheer. While Silver just stares blankly, wholly uninterested.

"But,"

We groan. Rats! Should've known there'd be a catch!

"Girls, please. This is _very_ important to your mother. _IF_ we are to go, then you must be on your utmost best behavior. We don't want to embarrass ourselves in front of all those ponies. However, you being older now, you _should_ be able to behave yourselves. Am I wrong?"

"No." We respond in unison.

"Good, then we may go."

We cheer again. Silver still looks bored.

"However," Mom spoke up. "If you two _don't_ behave yourselves, we're never going to a party like this again. Understood?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Good, because she's a very dear friend of mine, and we don't want to embarrass her or ourselves. I want you all to make a good first impression on her, okay?"

"Okay." We agree. Silver goes back to his book, which is probably some old novel about the detective and musician Merlock Drums.

I cheer in my mind again. YAY! We're finally going to meet her! The famous Evangeline Lavender! The unicorn of the sea and earth. My new heroine!


	8. Chapter 7

Finally, the day arrived. June 9th. Is this exciting or what?

Who would've thought we'd see the day?

Life around the house is usually hectic-ish. But today of all days especially. After sending our R.S.V.P., we marked our calendars, and prepared everything. We bought new clothes, brushed up on current events and other interesting topics...

At least, some of us did.

Those hoping to impress such as Paint and myself learned all we possibly could and planned our outfits. Mom worried over the details and kept us in check. Because, after all, we're not made of money. Dad and Silver acted pretty much the same. Except for getting new suits for the occasion, they acted like the coming party was just another Saturday.

Am I the only pony who finds that strange? 'Cause, seriously. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and they're acting completely unaffected. How does **that** happen?

It's totally strange to me, but they're guys, so I guess that's to be expected. Well, that's what everypony else says anyway.

So, the big day.

We all got ready, flew down to the train station, and boarded the train. On the way there, we all amused ourselves with various activities we'd brought along. Of course, we weren't allowed to mess with them during the party, but come on. Like we'd even want to. Well, except for Silver.

You know, I've noticed that Silver doesn't really do much except read and eat. I've noticed that Dad does pretty much the same thing. Okay, so Dad does do more. He interacts with Mom and us a lot. So Silver's really the only one who doesn't do much. I mean, we all do a lot of different things and interact with each other on a regular basis, but my brother seems more interested in books and video games.

I'll never understand boys.


	9. Chapter 8

The train ride was very nearly unbearable.

But, now that we're here, YES!

I am soooo excited!

This is great! I never knew a party would be or even could be this much fun!

As soon as we arrived at East Beach, our jaws dropped! At least, Paint's and mine did. We were so thrilled to be here! It's like stepping out of a pony tale! This is pure magic! There was so much going on! Waiters were serving at tables; fancily dressed ponies were strolling about, relaxing on the beach, or mingling. There were several reporters as well.

A light breeze swept across the sand, and there it was, stretching out as far as the eye could see and beyond, the sea. The sparkle of the sun as the water reflected it was breathtaking. It was the most magical moment of my life!

I never realized just how vast or how blue the sea is. Sure, I'd seen pictures, but no picture could ever compare to the real thing. It felt like I was in a trance. I just couldn't help it. I dazedly trotted over to where the sea washed up on the sand. And stepped in! It was like nothing I'd ever felt! The water was cool, yet pleasant. The heat of the sand counteracted the sea's gentle, lapping chill.

And suddenly, the spell was shattered! For the sound of my mother's voice brought my memory back, and I remembered that I was supposed to meet Evangeline Lavender. As I turned to go back to where my family stood, I gazed longingly at the sea one last time. Oh well, I'll be back. For now, time to meet my heroine.


	10. Chapter 9

As soon as I got closer to my family, I noticed that Evangeline Lavender was with them! I quickly walked (as elegantly as I could) to them. Upon reaching them, I curtsied to Miss Lavender as daintily as possible (I'd been practicing), and I stood up ramrod-straight. After all, first impressions are key. I didn't want her thinking that I was uneducated or uncivilized. And it worked!

She smiled at me kindly with the biggest smile I've ever seen.

"Well, hello there!"

She then turned to my mom.

"Flora, darling, you never said _anything_ about having such _adorable_ children!"

My mom smiled at her and chuckled nervously. "Well, I didn't exactly have much time to."

"Well, now you do. And I insist you tell me everything about them. They really are diamonds, aren't they?"

My mom smiled proudly at us. "Yes, they are. And I wouldn't trade my family for anything."

Miss Lavender smiled wistfully. "Yes. I do sometimes think about what it would be like to have a family of my own. But I'm afraid it would conflict with all of my duties. Still, I just love children!" She turned to me. "And you, you're Aqua, I believe?"

My back was starting to hurt from how stiff and straight I was keeping it. "Yes, Miss Lavender."

"Oh!" She began to chuckle. "Please, call me Evangeline. I would _very_ much like it if we could be friends."

"Alright... Evangeline."

She smiled even more brilliantly than before, if that's even possible.

Before either of us could say another word, Paint piped up. "Can we go eat now, or are we just gonna stand here?"

Evangeline turned to her. "But, of course. Please, help yourselves and enjoy the festivities. I hope we'll be able to see each other more often. But if I could steal you away for a little while, Flora, I'd like to hear more about your children and your life recently."

"Of course." Mom responded cheerily. She shooed us toward the buffet tables, and, after a brief word with Dad, went off with Evangeline to talk.

Wow! I finally got to meet her! I really hope I'll get to talk to her again before we leave. I wonder if we'll get to talk about the sea. Speaking of, the sea, still glistening, beckoned to me. I could hear it practically calling my name.

I wonder if Mom and Dad will let me go out in a boat, or even for a swim. Anything to experience the thrill of being in the sea!


	11. Chapter 10

After a couple of hours, I was bored. Mom was still talking to Evangeline, so both of them were busy. Dad and Silver were sitting at a table on the platform, while Paint was mingling with just about everypony. She's always been more of a social butterfly than I have.

While all of my family was busy doing something, such as eating or mingling, I was off to the side just watching them. But I quickly became bored. I wanted to do something, not just stand around waiting to be included. So I did.

I noticed that some of the ponies were over at the pier with a fairly large boat. It looked like they were getting ready to go sailing. But I knew that I shouldn't just wander off without my parents' permission, so I went over to Dad to ask him.

"Dad?"

He looked up from his meal. "Yes?"

"Can I go sailing with those ponies over there?" I pointed towards the pier.

He looked over at them, then turned back to me and shrugged. "I suppose it's alright. IF you're careful, and they agree."

I hugged him. "Thank you!"

I ran off towards the pier as quickly as I could. Which wasn't all that fast, given that I had to navigate my way through the crowds.

Once I reached my destination, I went up to one of the ponies standing by the pier who looked like he was in charge, if the clipboard was any indication.

"Excuse me?" I interrupted his talk with another pony as politely as possible.

He stopped and looked at me curiously. "Yes, young lady?"

I was surprised. Even the sailors had manners. Wow, this must be a really fancy place.

"Sorry for interrupting, but I was wondering if you'd let me come with you?" I was pretty nervous about this. I think this might be the first time I've just walked up to somepony like this.

He looked at me oddly. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen, sir."

"Really? Well, why would a young lady like you want to go sailing? Especially since there's such a marvelous party going on."

"My family's all busy, and I don't really like socializing that much. I'd much rather go sailing with you."

He adopted a contemplative expression. After a couple minutes, he asked, "And are your parents okay with this?"

I nodded. "I asked my dad; and he said I could come if I was careful, and I asked you first."

He smiled. "Well, then. Since you seem so enthusiastic about coming with us, and your father has agreed, I suppose you can come."

"Yay!" I cheered.

"But," he looked at me sternly, "I don't want any trouble from you, and you must be careful. I don't want to lose you overboard."

"Yes, sir." I saluted with a confident smile. "You can count on me. I'll be careful, and I can help, too."

At his surprised expression, I explained, "I've read a lot of books about sailing, so if you need any help with anything, I can do it."

He looked at me with a somewhat amused smile. "Well then. We'll just have to find something for you to do then, won't we?"

I smiled back.

He looked at his watch and called out orders to his crew, then turned back to me, "Alright, climb aboard. We're about to cast off."

"Yes, sir." I was so excited. But then I remembered something. "Sir?"

He responded patiently, "Yes?"

"How long will we be gone? I don't want my family to worry."

"Just a couple of hours. In fact, we won't even be leaving the bay. We'll be back before the party's over." He assured.

I was smiling again. "Good."

Then I got on the boat and waited for them to push away from the pier. Finally! Another dream come true!


	12. Chapter 11

**Not a Moana reference or reference to anything else. Just my personal imagination, and I can't help it if it's similar to anything you know.**

* * *

The sea is absolutely lovely. The fresh, salty air and the cool breeze were exhilarating!

I can't remember the last time I felt so amazing! So free. Everything was perfect. So much to experience in just one day! It's utterly incredible. Yet it's real!

I don't know if I'll ever get another chance like this, so I'm going to make the most of it. Once we got far enough out, I looked down and saw through the crystal blue sea all sorts of sea creatures! There were fish and coral and somewhere down there I knew there was a sandy bottom.

Everything I was feeling was completely indescribable! Except for this one: I felt free. For the first time in my life, I felt free. Completely and totally free. Like all my life was nothing until this.

Okay. Not totally nothing. I mean, I still had my family, of course, but I've never really had any true friends outside of that sphere. No one who really gets me. It's hard. But out here, my worries have seemed to all disappear. Like magic.

I knew that this was my destiny. To keep coming back to the sea. After all, my cutie mark says so. The day I got my cutie mark is one I'll never forget.

Three months after my tenth birthday, I visited the lake on the ground nearby Cloudsdale. I was just having fun, when I got the idea of making a little sailboat. After constructing it from all the books I read on the subject, I decided to test it out. I'd never felt anything like it at that point in my life. The breeze was blowing then, just like it is now. And for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged. Like I was always meant to sail.

At that moment of realization, my cutie mark of three white clouds overlooking a blue-green sea appeared. Ever since that day I've wanted to see the sea and actually sail on it. And now, my dream's come true!

I belong here. And nothing is going to keep me from coming back.


	13. Chapter 12

After returning to the pier, I helped the stallions dock the boat. Then, I thanked the captain, waved goodbye to the sailors, and went back to the party.

Everything was still flowing smoothly. As I looked for my family and finally found them, I noticed that my mom was speaking quite frantically to my dad. So, I quickly walked over to them.

My dad was calmly explaining what happened to me. And from his tone, he must have already done this several times. Glancing at the other occupants of the table, I observed Silver was still reading, but now he didn't seem as interested in his book as before. Paint also looked bored, staring longingly at the party. Both seemed as if Mom had dragged them from the festivities over to Dad in order to keep an eye on them as she worried over me.

Finally, I spoke up. "Hi, Mom."

She and Dad looked over at me. Mom immediately started fussing over me. "Where have you been, young lady? Oh, never mind, I know where you've been. But, how could you run off like that? And on a boat with a group of _stallions_, no less! You could've been in serious danger! They didn't try anything, did they?"

"No, Mom. I'm _fine._ I just went sailing."

Dad looked exasperatedly at Mom. "Like I've been _telling_ you for the past ten minutes."

She glared; first at him, then at me. "Well, I have every right to worry over her. You could've..."

"Been in danger, I _know_. But I wasn't. They were all perfect gentlemen. And I had _fun_. In fact, I want to do stuff like that more often."

She stared at me with wide-eyed horror. "Are you _serious_?! Absolutely not! You were in enough danger today! No more of that! You are staying right here until the party is over. After that, we are going straight home, and we are never going to a seaside party again!"

Silver and Paint protested. "But, Mom!"

"No buts! You two may resume mingling, but only if you stay where I can see you. Is that clear?"

They sighed and nodded.

"Very well, you two may go."

Silver and Paint practically shot from their seats over to where a few ponies, upon noticing they were free, waved them over.

As I sat down and contemplated my predicament, Dad patted me on the back and gave me a sympathetic smile. And that made me wonder. Did he ever face the same problem? After all, he and Mom said that they had met on a cruise... Of course, that didn't mean much. Lots of ponies went on cruises.

But _still_... All the books I've ever read on ships and sailing...Were from Dad's study. I wonder if there's more to his story than I thought. And if so... What made him give it up? And how come he's never said anything about his life before Mom?

* * *

After a half hour of thinking and trying to come up with some reasonable answers, Miss Evangeline came over. "Why, hello! I wondered where you ran off to! Your mother was in such a tizzy when she looked around for you, and you were nowhere in sight! Fortunately, you're back." She gave a sympathetic smile. "And your mother told me what happened."

She leaned in conspiratorially. "And you know something? I don't blame you. I was _just_ like you when I was young."

I felt my jaw drop. "_Really_?! But, I thought you were really sophisticated and everything. I mean, I knew you liked the sea, but, did you_ really_ run away too?!"

She nodded with a fond smile. "I couldn't _stand_ being away from the sea for long. So, having to live in Canterlot was _really_ irritating. But then one day, I realized I had a _choice_. So, I left. I packed my things and sneaked out into the night."

Her smile grew sad. "But sadly, I misjudged my ability to take care of myself. _Oh yes_, I had some adventures along the way, and I even found _this_ lovely place where I now spend my summers."

She sighed and had a distant look in her eyes, like she was reliving the memory in her mind. "But again, I had trouble taking care of myself. I didn't pack enough provisions, so I had to use my limited knowledge of botany to discern which plants I came across along the way were safe to eat. I didn't prepare for the weather, so I ended up using my spare clothes and branches as a makeshift shelter. But when I finally reached the sea, it all seemed worth it. I was convinced that sailing and exploring the sea was all that I could ever want to do.

"But then, I realized I had made a grave error. In all my excitement, I failed to account for pirates. When they came, I was _completely_ unprepared. I had _no idea_ how to defend myself. So, when they kidnapped me and took me onboard their ship, I was completely helpless. I was tossed into a dirty, dark brig where I was fed twice a day. After what I thought was a week, they finally allowed me on deck. After a couple more days, we _finally_ docked and I was taken to a shop."

She paused to draw in a shaky breath. "Where I was sold as a maid to the owner."

I gasped. I never thought that such a thing could ever happen! I've never even _heard_ of slavery _anywhere_! I thought it was a thing of the distant past.

She smiled slightly in a comforting manner. "Yes, I know it's a horrible thing to imagine. But slavery _does_ still happen in distant lands. And I was an unfortunate victim of it. I'm just glad that nopony tried to attack me. And the shopowner wasn't really _mean_, but, he wasn't the most tolerant of ponies either.

"I worked hard to please him, and eventually, he _was_ kinder towards me. But I missed home. I missed my parents and friends. But I knew it was highly unlikely that I'd ever be found. _I _didn't even know where I was. My life went on like that for close to a year. By then, I thought for sure that my parents thought that I was dead."

Her expression brightened somewhat. "But then, I got a _very_ unexpected rescue."

She looked over at my dad. I was confused for all of ten seconds before it clicked. _No way_! I was sure my mouth was hanging open wide enough to stick an entire glass in there.

I looked back and forth between the two, noticing how both looked amused at me.

"What?! How?!" I stammered and spluttered several times before I could form coherent sentences. "You mean, not only do you know my _mom_, but you know my _dad_, _too_?!"

They both chuckled at the sight of my baffled expression. Finally, Evangeline answered my query. "Yes. I actually met him before I ever met your mother. And she knows that. _Although_, I _was_ surprised to hear that she actually married him. After all, they didn't really get along with each other back when they met."

Now, that _was_ surprising. But wait, Dad actually _rescued_ her?! "Wait, my dad actually _rescued_ you?!"

She smiled at me. "He did, indeed! In fact, he was _so_ adventurous back then! And, on one of his travels, he met me. We quickly became friends, bonding over the love of the sea. Because, despite what had happened to me, I still _loved_ it and wanted more than _anything_ to be free so I could do the same things he got to do. Only, I knew better than to go alone again.

"So, after a while of visiting me, I told him my story-where I'd come from, and what had happened to me. And when he heard that, he was just so chivalrous that he offered to take me home. I was so excited at the prospect of going home, but I knew that my master still needed help._ And_ I owed to him for being so kind to me.

"So, I asked one of my friends that I had made there if she could take my place. She agreed, and we were able to arrange the switch with my master. He was actually pretty happy to see that I was able to finally go home and provided me a few things that I would need for the journey.

"We all said our goodbyes, and your father took me home."

My eyes were wide open, staring at her. "Woah!"

She smiled. "I know!"

Just as she was going to continue her story, Mom came up and announced that we were going home. She apologized to Evangeline for having to leave so early, but it was going to be a long train ride home.

She, of course, wasn't offended at all. When Mom left to get my siblings, she leaned in to whisper to me. "Don't worry. I'll write you the rest of my story." She winked at me and turned to smile at my dad.

He smiled back, then turned to me. "Indeed, and I think it's high time you heard my side of the story as well."

My eyes lit up with excitement. Yay! More answers!


	14. Chapter 13

Once we all were on the train headed back to Cloudsdale, I started to think. I _know_, I've been doing that a _lot_ lately, but I've had a lot to think about. So much has happened, and I've learned _so much_ in just the past few days! It seems like my life has suddenly hit the fast-forward button or something. Because everything has been happening so fast! Things that I always wanted to happen, things I never imagined were even possible-it's_ all_ happening!

And I don't know how to deal with it. But I do know one thing: I'm going to have to talk to Dad when we get home. I don't know _why_ he and Mom concealed all this from us. I mean, if they _didn't_ want us making the same mistakes_ they_ made, shouldn't they have told _what_ mistakes they made so we don't accidentally copy them? Am I the only one seeing the faulty logic in this?

(Sigh.) But, I don't make the rules. I just follow them. I just wish my parents weren't so secretive. And what's so bad about me going out to sea? I mean, if Evangeline ended up being fine, and she still wanted to go sailing on adventures, why can't I?

* * *

Once we got home and settled in, Dad motioned me towards his study. Once in the room, I took the chair across the desk from his. He pulled out a couple papers from one of the drawers and set them on the desk. He then slid them over to me.

"Here. Read these."

I pulled them closer and started reading the top one.

**Dear Azure,**

** I most sincerely regret to inform you that I must cancel our plans. It breaks my heart to have to do this, as we had such high hopes for a life of adventure. But, I cannot go. My beloved father has fallen ill, and if he does not recover, I fear I will have to take over for him. My family's business is very important, and I need to be able to support my mother. There's nopony else who can do it. My mother has told me that in my father's will, he names me as sole manager of everything. **

**I hate to disappoint you and to have to leave my dreams behind, but I have no choice. If my father dies, I will have to become the proper nobility they always wanted me to, how I loathe it! But for my father, I'll do it. I hope you'll find somepony else to go adventuring with. I'll tell you what happens to me, but, I don't think we'll be able to meet again. I'm sorry.**

**My heartfelt apologies and wishes for happiness,**

**Evangeline Lavender**

Woah! I did_ not_ see _that_ coming! Before today, I had no idea they even _knew_ each other, much less wrote each other letters! After a moment of collecting my thoughts, I slid the first aside and moved on to the next.

**Dear Azure,**

**As you can see, my tears are staining this letter. And that is because my worst fears have come true! My father is dead, and I am now the head of the estate. Of course, I am not quite of age yet, so my mother has been given temporary control, although not complete. I am being sent off to college where I will learn everything I will need to know for when I do come of age.**

**That last cruise we went on seems more of a bittersweet memory now, doesn't it? Because it's the last time I saw you, and the last time I probably ever will. All of our plans are now no more than a distant memory. I will always love you; you were like the older brother I never had. **

**But now, here I am, writing my last farewell. My sweetest and dearest memories will always be of you and that ridiculously old ship of yours. Oh, how many times I've told you you need to replace it. But, no, you held onto it. And it even grew on me a bit. ****Every moment I spent with you, I will always cherish. Never was my life more exciting, more fulfilled.**

**But even now as I write this tragic letter, I want you to know that you'll always be a part of my family. No matter how many miles separate us, no matter if I never see you again, you are forever my brother.**

**With tears and love,**

**Evangeline Lavender**

* * *

My mind is reeling. And I am trying _very_ unsuccessfully not to cry. I never knew! I never knew just how important Evangeline was to my family! And more importantly, I never knew just how heartbreaking their story was.

And suddenly, everything lines up in my mind. I can see the whole story clearly as if it were playing like a movie in front of me.

Evangeline runs away from home, gets kidnapped, and is sold by pirates. Nearly a year later, my dad visits the town where she is, befriends her, learns her origin, and returns her home safely. After a while, they make plans to go explore the world together as best friends. Their plans probably got delayed a little while. And in that time, she meets my mom in high school.

Sometime later, she invites my parents, who had never met each other at that point, on a cruise. They meet, but my parents don't get along due to their conflicting personalities. At some point after the cruise, Evangeline's father gets sick. She writes _my_ father, cancelling their plans and warning him that those plans may never become a reality.

Afterwards, her father dies; she writes Dad telling him the news in what was most likely her final letter to him. She tells my mom, and after graduation, they both head off to college. Dad, upon receiving that last letter, probably quit his explorer ways since she couldn't join him and decided to move to Cloudsdale where he met Mom again. Eventually, as they got to know each other better, they fell in love and married.

And when they had us, they decided the best course of action was to conceal their past, especially since it was probably too painful for them to talk about.

Years later, she escapes the public and her responsibilities for a short while in order to spend some time here in Cloudsdale. Which is where she'd most likely and was probably hoping to find Mom. After a long overdue chat, she learns that her brother-by-consideration and her second-best friend are married and happily living with three kids.

Then, upon hearing that one of Mom's children had a love of the sea, she decided the upcoming party she was throwing _near_ the sea was the perfect opportunity to meet me and see Dad again.

At the party, while I was gone, she must have gotten the chance to talk to Dad, and they must have decided that it was high time I heard their story. After hearing from Mom about it, she decided that it was the perfect time to tell me.

* * *

So, Dad decided to tell me through the last two letters _he'd_ gotten from _her_, and now I just have to wait for the letter that _she_ promised to write _me_.

I'm not entirely sure what my expression was, but it must have looked funny, because Dad was looking at me with a half-amused smile on his face. What was, no doubt, even _more_ funny was the moment I realized something: if she and Dad consider themselves siblings, then technically, that makes _her..._I drew in a surprised gasp...My _aunt_!


	15. Chapter 14

The first thing I registered after coming out of my daze was Dad setting a cup of water on the desk from the water dispenser behind him. He slid the cup over to me, and I grabbed it and started gulping it down to clear the fuzz still remaining from my dazed state just a minute ago. After I had drunk over half the cup, I set it back down on the desk.

Dad was patiently watching me, waiting for my questions, no doubt. I took a deep breath and finally spoke. "So, Miss Evangeline is technically my aunt." I looked to him for confirmation. He simply nodded. I looked back down, thought for a moment, then raised my head again.

"So, if she's technically my aunt, then how come you never told me about her?"

He sighed and looked at the letters with a sad expression. "I suppose it was just too much to bear. Your mother and I didn't think it necessary or fair for you three to bear our burdens. So, we kept all of this a secret. Something I now realize was a mistake. Denying you our family's history has prevented you from being able to properly deal with the present. If you'd known all this prior to meeting Evangeline and seeing the sea for the first time, you probably wouldn't have been quite so reckless. And if we'd talked about this before, I probably wouldn't have felt the obligation to allow you to go, thus upsetting your mother."

He looked up at me. "You have to understand, your mother is very protective of all of you. If anything were to happen to you, any of you, she would never forgive herself for allowing it. Therefore, she will do anything to keep you safe. And that means staying on land."

My expression fell, along with my eyes. He continued though. "But," I glanced upward. He looked at me with the utmost seriousness. "That does not mean that one day you won't be able to go sailing and fulfill your dreams. Just not now. You are not only too young, but also you don't have the knowledge or skill to properly defend yourself. Evie didn't have that, and just look at what happened to her."

My expression was slightly puzzled. "Evie?"

He smiled nostalgically. "That's what I used to call her. When we first became friends, she insisted that 'Evangeline' was far too long, so I shortened it for her. Called her that ever since."

He smiled wider. "And in light of all the reasons why you shouldn't go out to sea just yet, I have decided that, if your mother agrees, I will train you to be as good as of a sailor as I was. And who knows? Maybe even better." He winked at me.

I smiled back. In fact, I'm pretty sure my cheeks were starting to hurt from how wide my smile was. It was no doubt extremely comical.

Then it registered. "But why would Mom ever agree to this? You saw how she reacted today. I'm pretty sure she won't even let me out of the house until I'm 30 and both my siblings have families."

He just smiled at my melodramatic despair. "Don't worry. I'll talk to her. Everything will be fine."

Though he assured me, I wasn't so sure. But I wondered just what Miss Evangeline's letter would say. I hope it explains their story in depth more. And I wonder what Mom's gonna say.


	16. Chapter 15

After all that has happened today, I feel like I could sleep for three days straight. That's how mentally and physically exhausted I am. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to surprises, but one thing I do know: this is the most I have ever been surprised in such a short time period!

The last major surprise before all of this that I got was when Mom and Dad announced that I would be getting a younger sibling. That's pretty much all that I remember, though. For example, I've seen pictures of me holding her, but I don't remember that. At all.

But, back to the story.

Five days passed. My dad had talked to my mom about training me, but she was still uneasy about the idea. As of right now, both of my parents are at work. Silver is talking to a friend on the phone, and Paint is, well, painting. By some strange case of deja vu, there was a knock at the door. Behind it was a mailpony who gave me a letter and left. When I looked at the front, it was addressed to me. And it was from Miss Evangeline! Finally!

I know, I say that a lot. Probably from watching so many movies that my life feels like a drama show sometimes. Really, I don't why I get so surprised when things happen. A word of advice: expect the unexpected. Because life is weird.

I flew to my room with the letter in hoof. Once there, I tore it open and began to read.

**Dear Aqua Breeze,**

** I hope you're well since I last saw you. I know very well that entire lives can change in a matter of days and even hours. I trust that your father has told you our story, so I'll keep this brief.**

** When your father rescued me, I was beyond happy and relieved. I feared that I would never be able to return home, and that I had ruined my life with that one terrible mistake. But then, as we became close on the journey back, we started to make plans. At that time, we each had our whole lives ahead of us and wanted to explore. Neither of us fully realized that life doesn't always allow you to fulfill your dreams.**

** When my father became ill, I was terrified. My life seemed to be crashing down around me once again. I wrote to your father in despair, hoping he'd be able to provide some comfort. I'd tell you what his letters back to me said, but their full content wouldn't fit on the page.**

** Basically, he gave me exactly what I needed: encouragement. Even though things looked bleak, and I did end up losing my father and having to give up my dreams, I knew that he'd always be there for me if I ever needed to call on him again. He'd always be family. And that reassurance was all that I really needed to step up and fulfill my duties.**

** My life didn't work out the way I'd hoped, but I always tried to make the best of it. When I had the opportunity, I bought a house near the beach. I'd host parties at beach resorts for both rich and poor. So, my lesson to you is this: no matter what your situation is, make the best of it. I know it's often said, but it's true. If life gives you lemons, you can make lemonade. If life is bitter, and you don't get the things you want or the way you want them, you can make it sweeter. Whether that's just by having a positive attitude, or by doing something to help someone else. There's always a way that you can help; always something that you can do.**

** And if that something is simply waiting, then wait. And, like many things, if waiting wasn't hard, then patience wouldn't be a virtue. Remember this: your cutie mark is your destiny, which means that one day, somehow, it'll come true. Even if your cutie mark doesn't mean what you think it means, your true destiny will reveal itself in time.  
**

** So, be patient. Whatever your parents think is best for you, listen to them. They're older and wiser. So don't be upset if they keep you from doing what you want. And don't rebel. Because they might be able to see danger ahead that you, in your young foolishness, are blind to.**

** And no matter how hard the wind blows, if you stay strong, you can weather any storm. Grow better, not bitter. I hope this brings you encouragement. After all, I received similar advice from your father, and it definitely helped me.**

** I also hope that you'll write me back. I'd so love to hear from you and learn more about how your life is going. Just use the address on the envelope if you want to write back to me.**

**Love, Evangeline**

* * *

... I think my brain is overloaded.

Either that or I'm just plain overwhelmed. I'm pretty sure I started crying halfway through. Or maybe it was closer to the beginning, I don't know.

But, like Evangeline, this was exactly what I needed. And I hadn't even completely realized it yet. Also, I am terrible at describing my feelings. I mean, seriously, how _do_ ponies do that? Whenever I feel things, it's always a muddled-up mess that I can hardly sort through. Yet, when _other_ ponies seem to feel things, they make it seem as if all of _their_ emotions are clear cut. That, or they go into some big poetic spiel about it, and make it seem like their lives are a Shakespearean drama.

Of course, I'm probably one of those ponies, so who am I to talk, right?


End file.
